Arguably, the most unpleasant surprise for the Red Wings in October was their inability to score goals consistently. Through nine games, Detroit has just 25 goals scored in nine games, giving them fewer than three per game on average.
One reason behind the madness could be because star center Dylan Larkin hasn’t been consistent on the stat sheet. But with so much time left in the regular season, we don’t need to push the panic button just yet.
That is because the biggest surprise for the Red Wings here at the end of October is that, despite their struggles, they’re just two points out of at least tying for a top-three spot. They’re also six points out from the first-place Florida Panthers, who currently have two games in hand heading into Wednesday night’s tilt vs. the mighty Winnipeg Jets.
Detroit is tied with three other teams in the Atlantic with nine points, but with a game in hand before tonight’s matchup, they technically have the lead among the “have-nots.” Why is this such a surprise so far at the end of October? Let me explain.
Red Wings lucky to be in a manageable position at the end of October
For the record, any team can come back from a last or near-last-place deficit in their divisions, as it’s still early. But the deeper the early-season deficit, the tougher it is for those teams to bounce back. For example, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers are already six points behind the second-place NY Rangers, who have two games and one game in hand, respectively, over both teams.
In the Central Division, it’s the same story, with those mighty Jets storming out to a 16-point October heading into tonight’s matchup in just nine games. Meanwhile, the Nashville Predators and Chicago Blackhawks find themselves nine points back in the young season and seven points from the second-place Dallas Stars and third-place Minnesota Wild.
The Pacific Division is a different story, with the nine-point Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks finding themselves just six points behind the Vegas Golden Knights, and the Ducks have a game in hand. Still, Edmonton is missing Connor McDavid, and the Ducks are a young team in rebuilding mode, so their 0.500-point stint may not last.
We don’t often see teams with a 0.500-point total so close to their third-place or first-place rivals even at the end of October, as is the case with the Wings. That said, tonight’s matchup vs. Winnipeg could put the Wings right back into the thick of things.